Sparker for explosive-engines.



APPLIOATION FILED NOV-13,1903.

mmllll No. 788,868. Patented May 2, 1905.

GEORGE A. WEST, OF BUFFALO, NEN YORK, ASSIUNOR OE ONE-HALF TO AUSTIN M. WEST, OF BUFFALU, NEW YORK.

SPARKER FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 788,868, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed November 13, 1903. Serial No. 181,063.

'whvm it W don/067%: the reception of a hollow plug 71, within 53 Be it known that l, GEORGE A. VVEs'r, acitiwhich is a second plug or sleeve 7 2, separated Zen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, from the first by an insulating-ring 73, the in the county of Erie and State of New York, insulating material extending to the outside have invented a new and useful Sparker for of the main plug and being confined in place Explosive-Engines, of which the following is by a ring or washer 7 5, that is pressed against 55 a specification. the insulating material by a nut 76 on the This invention relates to certain improvethreaded end of the sleeve. The sleeve forms ments in explosive-engines, and has for its a guide for a bar-electrode 77, having lim- IO principal object to provide a novel form of ited longitudinal movement. The outer end sparker in which a movable electrode is aetuof the electrode is guided in a suitable open- 60 ated by the pressure of the explosive charge. ing formed in a yoke 78, against which bears A further object of the invention is to proone end of a spring 79, the opposite end of vide a sparker in which one of the electrodes the spring bearing against a collar 80, caris carried by a piston that is subjected to the ried by the electrode, and said collar serving I pressure of the gases in the cylinder or exby engagement with the end of the sleeve 7 2 6 5 plosion-chamber of the engine and. is moved tolimit inward movement of the electrode. past a relatively stationary electrode during Outward movement of the electrode is limitthe compression-stroke of the main piston. ed by means of a pin 81, carried by said elec- With these and other objects in view, as will trode and adapted to engage against the inhereinai'ter appear more fully, the invention ner flanged end of the sleeve. 7o consistsin the novel construction and arrange- The upper portion of the casing 7 0 has a ment of parts hereinafter described, illus' cylindrical bore for the reception of a small trated in the accompanying drawings, and parpiston 85, to which is secured a bar-electrode 2 5 ticularly pointed out in the appended claims, 86, adapted to make wiping contact with the it being understood that various changes in electrode 77. The upper end of the electrode 7 5 the form, proportions, size, and minor details .86 extends through a suitable opening in a of the structure maybe made without departcap-plate 88, covering the top of the casing ing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the and held in place by aring-nut 89, while be advantages of the invention. tween the cap-plate and the upper end of the In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is piston is a cushioning-spring 90, that serves 0 a sectional elevation of a sparker constructed to prevent injurious contact between the pisin accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is ton and the cap. The upper portion of the a similar view showing the positions when the electrode 86 is threaded for the reception of 3 5 two electrodes are in contact. a nut 92, which may be adjusted to alter the Similar numerals of reference are employed stroke of the piston 85. The electrode-bar 5 to indicate corresponding parts throughout passes through an opening in a yoke 95, the both figures of the drawings. lower ends of which are turned outward and The sparker forming the subject of the seated in suitable recesses in the ring-nut, and 4 present invention is designed for use in con between the lower face of thecross-barof the nection with explosive-engines of any type, yoke and an adjustable collar 96 on the bar- 9 and the movable electrode is carried by a piselectrode is a helical compression-spring 97, ton that is disposed within a suitable sleeve that serves in part to cushion the upstroke of in communication with the explosion-chamber the piston. of the engine, so that the piston will be moved In the operation of the sparker the suctionby the pressure of the explosive charge. stroke of the main piston will create a partial The explosion-chamber is tapped for the revacuum below the small piston 85, and the ception of the threaded end of a casing 7 0, at latter will descend, the electrode 86 wiping one side of which is a threaded opening for past the electrode 7. The downward movebe employed in connection with explosive-enment of the piston is aided by the spring 97, l and the spring has sufficient force to prevent the piston moving upward at the starting of the compression-stroke. The descending movement of the piston may be accomplished by the spring 97 during the exhaust-stroke of the main piston; but in any case provision is madc for breaking the sparking-circuit during downward movement of the piston, so that there will be no spark during the exhaust or suction strokes. Near the completion of the compression-stroke the piston 85 ascends against the stress of the spring 97 and wipes past the electrode 77 pushing the latter outward, and then on leaving the electrode 77 a spark is created and an explosive charge is ignited. The limit of downward movement of the electrode 86 is adjusted by nut 92, that comes into contact with the upper end of the yoke at the completion of the stroke of the piston, and by adjusting this nut and by turning the nut 96 to alter the stress of the spring 97 the explosion may be timed in any desired manner and occur either at the completion of the compression-stroke or before or after the completion of such stroke, as circumstances may require. The adjustment of the resisting force of the spring 97 will permit it to yield under any desired degree of compression of the explosive charge, so that the explosion may occur at any desired point in the stroke of the piston of the engine, in which may be secured a plug 99, the opening being directly opposite the electrodes, so that on the removal of the plug the electrodes may be examined and cleaned, if necessary.

A sparker of the character described may gines of any type and may be connected in any suitable sparking circuit; but it is preferred that provision be made for holding the circuit open during downward movement of the electrode 86, so that no spark may occur on this movement of the electrode.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylinder having one end in communication with the explosion-chamber of the engine, a piston disposed in said cylinder, an electrode carried by the piston, and a second electrode movable transversely of the first and adapted to be engaged and moved thereby as the piston is reciprocated, said electrodes having rounded or cam-shaped contact-faces to permit the wiping of one past the other.

2. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylinder having its inner end in communication with the explosion-chamber of the engine, a piston disposed in the cylinder, an electrode carried by the piston, a spring arranged between the outer face of the piston and the outer end of the cylinder to cushion said piston, and

a second electrode arranged within the path of movement of the first, and movable laterally with respect thereto, the engaging faces of the electrodes being rounded or cam-shaped to permit the wiping of one past the other.

3. In a s parker for ex plosive-engines, a cylinder having its open inner end in communication with the explosionchamber of the engine, a piston within the cylinder, an electrode carried by said piston, a compressionspring tending to force the electrode in the direction of the explosion-chamber, means for adjusting the stress of said spring, and a second electrode disposed in the path of movement of the first, and movable laterally with respect thereto, the engaging faces of the electrodes being rounded or cam-shaped to permit the wiping of one past the other.

4. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylinder having its open inner end in communication -with the explosion-chamber of an engine, a piston disposed within the cylinder, an electrode carried by the piston, the outer end of said electrode being threaded, a nut carried by the threaded portion of the electrode to adjust the extent of the stroke of the piston, and a second electrode arranged in the path of movement of the first.

5. In a sparker for explosive-engines, acylinder having its open inner end in communication with theexplosion-chamber of an engine, a piston arranged in the cylinder, an electrode carried by said piston, a cap-piece, and a nut forming a closure for the outer end of said cylinder, the cap-piece being provided with an electrode-guiding opening and the nut having recesses, a yoke member having its lower end seated in the nut-recesses and provided with an electrode-guiding opening, the outer portion of the electrode beingthreaded and extending loosely through said opening, a compression-spring surrounding the electrode, a nut for adjusting the tension of the spring, a second nut mounted on the threaded portion of the electrode and serving as a means for adjusting its stroke, and a second electrode disposed in the path of movement of the first electrode.

6. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylindrical casing, a plug adapted to a threaded opening in the casing, a sleeve disposed within the plug and insulated therefrom, a barelectrode having limited longitudinal play within the sleeve, a spring tending to move said electrode in one direction, means for limiting longitudinal movement of the electrode, a piston disposed Within the casing, and a second electrode carried by said piston.

7. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylindrical casing, a plug adapted to a threaded opening in the casing, a sleeve disposed within and insulated from the plug, a bar-electrode having limited longitudinal play in the sleeve, a guiding-yoke at the outer end of the bar, and a compression-spring tending to force the electrode into the casing, a piston disposed Within the casing, and a second electrode carried by said piston.

8. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylindrical casing, a relatively stationary electrode carried thereby, a piston disposed within the casing, a cap-plate and nut forming a V closure for one end of the casing, a yoke supported by the nut, an electrode carried by the piston and having a threaded outer end guided by the yoke, a spring tending to move the second electrode in the direction of the first, and a nut carried by the threaded end of the electrode for adjusting the stroke of the piston.

9. In a sparker for explosive-engines, a cylindrical casing, a plug adapted to a threaded opening therein, a sleeve carried by and in.- sulated from the plug, abar-electrode mounted in, the sleeve, a spring tending to force the electrode into the casing, a piston disposed Within said casing, an electrode carried by the piston, a spring carried by the electrode at a point above the piston and forminga cushion therefor, and a movable plug disposed in a threaded opening in the casing at a point opposlite the bar-electrode, substantially as specifiec.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy oWnI have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE A. WEST.

Witn esses M. HAssELBnoK, FRANK KIRK. 

